Game apparatus



E. W. FORD.

GAME APPARATUS.. APPLICATION FILED APR.2, 1921.

Patentd. Au rs, 1922..

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

E. w. mm). GAME APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR-2. 1921- 18 1.9 25 8 OF 3/0 2 --o Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELBEET W. FORD, OF JAMESTOW'N, NEW YORK.

GAME AEPARATUS,

To all "whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eraser FORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city of Jamestown, in the county of Chautauqua and Stateof New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in GameApparatus, of which the following,

taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in game apparatus; and the objectof the 1mprovement is, first, to provide a toy of the class describedhaving a target holder com: prising a foldable upright frame withadjustable swinging trapeze thereon and a base plate forv said uprightframe and fold ng braces on said upright frame engaging sald base plate;and second, to provide a slidabl'y mounted toy catapult having means forthrowing a small projectile such as a toy doll or ball at said swingingtrapeze or a target having an opening therethrough for said projectile;and third, to provide said toy doll with hooked arms which engage oversaid trapeze to. swing said doll between said uprights when the shooteris sufficiently skilled to drop the arms of the-doll onto the crosspiece of said trapeze and the invention consists in the novel featuresand combinations hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the game apparatuswith the toy doll in position on the toy catapult for shooting, a seconddoll being shown hanging from the trapeze as when thrown by the catapultto that position. Fig. 2 is a lengthwise sectional view of thetoycatapult or shooter with a ball in position for throwing, theposition of the parts in the act of throwing being shown in dottedoutline with means for abruptly stopping the shooter plate. Fig. 3 showsa plan view of the support and bracket in the folded position "ready forshipment or placing in a box for storage; and Fig. 4 is an end view ofthe-same. Fig. 5 is an elevation ofthe front of the upright with thering target depending before the same. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of theupright and support in the process of folding. Fig. 7 is a plan view ofthe rear side of the target showing the. supporting wires thereon. Fig.8 is an edgewise elevation of the target and upright as shown in Fig.5,=the supporting and back stop plates being broken away. I

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, Application filed April 21921.

Serial No. 457,842

Like characters of reference referto corresponding parts in the severalviews.

The entire apparatus is preferably made of sheet metal with theexception of the projectiles. The numeral 10 designates the supportingor base plate which is preferably struck up from sheet metal in thechannelshaped form toprovide tracks by the upturned flang d edges 11.The upright invert.-v ed U-shaped frame 12 is pivotally attached to theflanges 11 near one end of they plates 10 and has the braces 13pivotallyattached near the lower end of each leg to removably engage inholes 1 1 in the flanges 11, which holes are the spaced distancerequired to hold the uprightframe 12 in vertical position as to plate10.

The Ushaped strap piece 15 is also pivotally attached near the lower endof the up right 12 at each-side and extends to the rear having theincline portion 16 to support a back stop plate 17 at the incline of theportion 16 of the, strap piece 15-."A double hooked brace 18 may beprovided to engage over. the upper end of the back stop plate 1'1 andover the top' c-ross piece 19 of the upright 12 to hold the partsrigidly.

The upright 12 is also provided with a series of spaced holes 20 in theupper portion of each downward leg to. receive therein the out-turnedends 22 of the spring wire tra-. peze 21 which swings between the twolegs of the upright 12. Said trapeze may be made in the simple formshown in Fig. 1', or with additional swing wire 23' which. is attachableto the rear side of a target ring 24; by means of suitable brackets andto the top cross bar of the frame 12 and hangs so that the projectilesmay be shot through the hole 25 in the ring't'arget 24%, the target 21being turned up on top, as shown in Fig. 1, when not in use.

ing. A rivet 31 is preferably provided on the side toward the end of theplate 26 which extends below said plate 26 a sufficient distance toreceive thereon the elastic rubber strip 32, which strip has a series ofholes 33 through the same to be received over the struck-up hook 3 1 sothat when the preferably convex or trouglrshaped shooter plate 27 isthus attachechit can be balanced The doll projectile 38 is provided withthe raised hooked arms 39, and is preferably of a light celluloid type,though wood forms a good substitute. The feet of the doll may beweightedto cause said doll to swing downward easily in shooting the sameonto the trapeze 21. The arms 39 are preferably made of wire, which maybe in a single piece and extend through the shoulders of the doll-shapedprojectile, or of celluloid with hooks on the hands.

It is now apparent that the catapult plate 26 may be placed at thedesired distance from the upright 12 and trapeze 21 and target24r andthat the doll 38, hall 3'? or other projectile may be placed in thetroughshaped spring shooter plate 27, 'theend of said shooter plate setbeneath the spring catch 35 thereby setting the catapult in form forshooting" said projectile so that by the quick withdrawal of the springcatch plate 35, the end ofthe spring shooter plate 27 is released,thereby throwing the projectile as shown in dotted outline in Fig. 2directlyat the target or trapeze. The shooter plate 27 is abruptlystopped by the side of.

the V-shapedraised support 28, thereby givin a short snappythrow to theprojectile."

nthe case of the hookecbarm dol1'38 39, the skill is shown in soshooting said doll as to hook thearms 39 over thecrossbar of the trapeze21, and in the case of the ball, to shootthe same through the opening 25in the target 24. The doll 38 may be also shot through said opening 25in the target 24, thusmaking a moredifiicult shot than without saidtarget. The target24is preferably made removable by swinging over on topof the frame so that the trapeze 21 maybe used with or without the same.The back stop plate 27 is usually struck by the projectile whichslidesdownthe same onto the plate 11 ready to be replaced on the springshooter plate 27. l

. ThepartslO, l2, 17Iand 18 are made foldable by the withdrawal of thehooked braces 13: from the openings 14, thereby permitting theupright 12to be folded into the channel plate 10 andthe back stop plate 17 tobe:foldecl over the same. The target 24 and brace 18 being removable areplaced'between theiback. stop plate 17:*andsupporting plate lO, 1 x

A pair of braces 40 may also be pivotally attached to theuprights 12 aspaced distance above the strap piece 15 to engage behind and supportthe back stop plate 17, said braces 40 being foldable within the upright12, .makin a compact folded device as shown in Figs. 3 and 4:. Thecatapult plate 26sets over'thechannel plate 10 and other parts when inthe folded position, thereby giving the entire apparatus a compact formforshipmeht or storage.

What is'claimed is:

1. A game apparatus comprising a base plate having paralleltracksthereon, an inverted U-shaped frame pivotally attached to said paralleltracks near one end of said base plate, detachable braces between saidtracks and said frame to'support the same in an upright position, saidframe having a lengthwise series of holes in. each leg thereof,awiretrapeze sprung into said holes to adj ustably andswingingly supportthe same in said frame, spring shooter slidably mounted on said trackson said base plate to adjust said shooter as to distance from saidtrapeze, and a hook projectile to be thrown by said spring' shooterendeavoring to hang the same on said trapeze. r j

2. Ina game apparatus, a base'plate having its "sides turned upwardly toform flanges, a frame of'le'sslength than that of the base plateslidably seated on'the upper edges of the flanges and having its sidesturnedfdownwardly to slidably engage over the outer faces 'oftheflanges, a projectile shooter on the frame,"an inverted U-Shaped targetcarrying frame having its free ends pivoted to the flanges, and' mean'sto hold the target frame vertical and against pivotal movement.

3. Ina game apparatus, a base plate having its sides turned upwardly toform flanges, a'frame of less'length than that of the base plateslidable-onthe base plate and having'itssides turned downwardly and engaged'with the flanges, aprojectile shooter on the frame an'invertedU-shaped target carrying frame havingfits free ends pivoted to 'the'flanges, and meansto hold the target frame vertical and against pivotalmovement. y l w- 4. In a game apparatus, a base, an'inverted U-shapedtarget'frame pivoted to the base soas to fold thereagainst, meansbetweenthe frame and base to hold the frame vertical and against pivotalmovement, a backstop plate pivoted to the-baseso as to foldaga instthetarget frame plate, a latch pivoted to --thetopof the-frame and'enpivoted to the base so as to fold thereagainst, means between theframe and base to hold the frame vertical and against pivotal movement,a back stop plate pivoted to the base so as to fold against the targetframe plate, and a horizontal U-shaped member having its ends attachedto the legs of the frame and receiving the back stop plate therebetweenand having its body engaged with the rear of the back stop plate to holdthe latter at an incline and to the rear of the frame.

6. In a game apparatus, a base, a shooter thereon, an inverted U-shapedtarget frame pivoted to the base so as to fold thereagainst, meansbetween the frame and base to hold the frame vertical and againstpivotal movement, at back stop plate pivoted to the base so as to foldagainst the target-frame plate, and a pair of L-shaped members pivotedto the respective legs of the frame and having their angular endsengageable with the rear of the back stop plate to hold the latter at anincline and to the rear of the frame.

7. In a game apparatus, a base, an inverted U-shaped target framepivoted to the base, means between the frame and base to hold the framevertical and against pivotal movement, a back stop plate pivoted to thebase plate, a latch pivoted to the top of the frame and engageable withthe back certain of the perforations in the respective sides of theframe.

9. In a game apparatus, a base, a target frame thereon, and a projectileshooter including a frame, an inverted V-member on the shooter framehaving its ends turned outwardly and secured thereto, a shootertensioned member pivoted to said Vmember, and a latch for the shootermember consisting of a metal strip having one end turned outwardly andsecured to the shooter frame and having its opposite end formed with acatch to engage the shooter member.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

ELBERT W. FORD.

